By Paul T. Mueller
If Kiefer Sutherland’s August 11 performance in Houston is any guide, the actor/musician’s forthcoming second album is likely to be a little more upbeat than his 2016 debut, Down In a Hole. Backed by a capable four-piece band, Sutherland treated a near-capacity audience at Miller Outdoor Theatre to about 90 minutes’ worth of songs, including several new ones and a few covers, and some stories about his recent turn to musical performance after years of songwriting.
The music might best be described as pop/rock with some twang, given a little more edge by the band’s two guitarists and taking on an even harder tone during a mid-set stretch when Sutherland put down his acoustic guitar in favor of a Telecaster. Some of the singer’s wardrobe choices (white sport coat and matching Panama hat) and stage mannerisms might have seemed more at home on a Broadway stage than in a honky-tonk, but his guitar skills were up to the task and his gravelly voice was well suited to his material.
Song titles weren’t always announced, but Sutherland introduced one that might have been “Something You Love” by explaining its theme as “Life’s too short to spend doing things you don’t love.” He described “Reckless and Me” as either a reference to the name of his horse during his rodeo days or a description of his personality (apparently the new album will be titled Reckless). He acknowledged being surprised at realizing how many songs in his catalog dealt with drinking; several showed up in the set, including “This Is How It’s Done,” “Agave” and “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,” delivered as a tribute to Merle Haggard. The theme was underscored by the bottle of Scotch that was more than an onstage prop. Sutherland also sang a nice rendition of “Open Road,” a highway ballad by singer-songwriter Jude Cole, a friend and frequent co-writer.
The show was a free one, part of the venue’s annual concert series, and it’s a fair guess that many in attendance were there out of familiarity with Sutherland’s acting career rather than as fans of his music. Still, at several points he expressed his gratitude that people had come out to hear him perform music they probably weren’t familiar with. He and the band were rewarded with a standing ovation when they wrapped up. They returned after a few minutes; Sutherland told some entertaining stories from his and his twin sister’s childhood with their dad, actor Donald Sutherland, and the band closed with a fine take on Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Footage from an earlier show on the tour: